312 The Irish Naturalist. 



but before its disappearance I removed it to the large birds' 

 aviar}^ on account of its habits. 



The Blue-bonnet is a more satisfactory bird and quite as 

 amusing. It flits about incessantly, chattering continually, 

 and 5^et it is a sociable bird too, never appearing happ3^ unless 

 it lias a companion to solace its captivity. M}^ birds are not 

 timorous, though neither are they tame, and whenever I 

 enter the aviary they seek the topmost perch, always remain- 

 ing in exactly the same spot till I leave, their heads being 

 hidden behind a piece of board. They love anything in the 

 way of fat and appear fond of water ; but they have not 

 3'et nested with me. 



Of Finches I keep many kinds. The Goldfinch has nested 

 and sat on its eggs more than once, but has ** forsaken " the 

 nest on every occasion, without bringing out young, though 

 the eggs were fertile, as I have discovered by breaking them, 

 The bird is delicate, but a thing of beauty in an aviary. 



The Canary, having paired with a Siskin, has nested and 

 brought out young, which died, but the Siskins have never 

 paired amongst themselves. The Siskin is, perhaps, of all 

 small birds the most satisfactory in an aviary. I have had 

 a pair for five years and they have never showed signs of 

 illness, not even when moulting ; but they feed voraciously, 

 and drive away much larger birds from both food and water 

 till they are satisfied. The cock on one occasion escaped 

 from the cage as I was entering, but instead of flying away, 

 it settled on the netting, and allowed me to take it in my 

 hand and place it within the aviary. It is an incessant 

 songster, and bathes in a peculiar way by standing on the 

 edge of the bath, merely ducking its head under water and 

 allowing the water to run down its back. 



The Brambling is a handsome fellow, and a great addition 

 to the aviar^^ Some few years ago the}^ were very plentiful and 

 cheap in Dublin, but I have not seen so many for sale lately. 

 I have had three for about four j^ears and they seem very 

 healthy. A fourth died, but it was moulting at the time, and 

 the weather was cold. The .song is not sweet, but there is not 

 one of the Finches so handsome, and at the same time so 

 -healthy. It is particularly fond of water, and usually is the 

 ; first to enter the bath.. 



